Word document

Question

I am unable to type on my word document it says: you can't make this change because the selection is locked when I'm typing

Answer 1

Hi Clementine,

Based on your sharing, this error message means Word is preventing editing and this can be caused by different reasons: Office isn't activated, protected document, file is in view-only mode, or the file was marked as final/read-only.

Therefore, I suggest you should first check these things in order:

1/ Check your license

• Open Word and go to File > Account
• Check if there is any expired license status (Product Activation Failed, Unlicensed Product, etc.)

2/ Turn off Restrict Editing

• Open the document and go to Review tab > Restrict > Restrict Editing
• If there is any restriction is On/Checked, click Stop Protection

3/ Check if the file is opened as Read-Only or Marked as Final

• In Word, check if you see any yellow banner saying that the file is in Read-only/Mark as Final > if it is, click enable to continue editing
• Also, check the upper right dropdown and ensure you are in Editing, not Viewing or Reviewing mode

For further assistance, you can do a quick test to identify what is the real cause:

• Press Ctrl + A to select all text > Ctrl + C to copy > open a new blank Word file > paste the text there and save the new file:
  • If you cannot type/save even in a new one > it's usually an Office activation/licensing
  • If you can perform action normally in new file > only one file is affected > it's likely about protection/permission problem of that file

Please try these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, please don't hesitate to reach out again in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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